Who is Baba Kourouma – The 16-year-old gem called up to Barcelona first-team training | OneFootball

Barcelona have quite a few players injured heading into tonight’s game against newly-promoted side Real Oviedo.

The list of injured players includes the likes of Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Alejandro Balde. As a result, Hansi Flick has called up a few new youth players in training in the lead-up to the game.

One of them was Baba Kourouma, a 16-year-old La Masia prodigy, who trained with the first team ahead of the Oviedo clash.

Who is Baba Kourouma?

SPORT has recently run a profile on Kourouma, where it was revealed that the young defender is the younger brother of former Barça player Ilaix Moriba.

He joined the training session with the first team alongside Leon goalkeeper Eder Aller, who filled in for Diego Kochen while the American is away at the U-20 World Cup.

Baba is the youngest of three brothers. Ilaix currently plays for Celta de Vigo, while Lass once featured for Girona.

Unlike his siblings, who play in midfield, Baba is usually deployed as a left-sided centre-back but can also take on the pivot role.

Baba Kourouma is a special talent. (Photo courtesy: X/FCBMasia)

He has also played in the full-back position and can operate as an interior or a winger, with versatility being one of his key assets.

Born on February 23, 2009, he is noted for his physical strength and talent, shaped during his early years in Guinea before joining La Masia in 2021.

However, he was unable to debut until the 2022/23 season with the U14 A side due to bureaucratic issues.

Last season, he featured for Pol Planas’ Juvenil B team and came on in Barcelona’s UEFA Youth League opener against Newcastle. He also played under Juliano Belletti with the Juvenil A team and took part in the Copa Catalunya.

This campaign he has been fully promoted to the Juvenil A setup after he signed a three-year contract after turning 16 during the summer.

Flick has heard strong reports about him and wanted to test him in training, and it likely won’t be the last time.